Apparatus for processing paper stock



APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING PAPER STOCK Filed March 50, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

ozffard 5ft/ma BY fw a# Mu United States Patent OK 3,116,028 APPARATUS FOR PRCESSING PAPER STOCK Howard Bidwell, 56 Aldrich St., Granby, Mass., assignor of one-half to Rachel Bidwell, Granby, Mass. Filed Mar. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 99,473 2 Claims. (Cl. 241--97) This invention relates to apparatus for processing paper stock by flowing the water-borne stock over, against and between spaced, granular surfaced elements. Apparatus of the type `to which this invention pertains include, in general, rotor members rotating in spaced relation within stator members, the granular working surfaces of both the rotor and stator members being provided with variously directed and dimensioned contours to variously direct and manipulate the stock as it ows over, against and between the rotor and stator members to accomplish pulping, nrefining and other forms of processing. Apparatus of this general type is exemplified in Patents Nos. 2,912,174 .and 2,936,128 and my copending applications Serial No. 26,527, led M ay 3, 1960, upon which Patent No. 3,058,678 issued October 16, 1962, Serial No. 78,072, filed December 23, 1960, now abandoned in favor of Serial No. 93,272, below, Serial No. 89,423, led February 15, 1961, and Serial No. 93,272, liled March 3,1961.

More particularly the invention relates to apparatus of the above type which affords control of the working temperature of the stock passing through it.

In the processing of stock its temperature rises in a degree generally proportionate to the work done on it. Since the stock aggregate, as it is worked on, is waterborne, that is, it is carried over and against the granular surface by the kinetic energy imparted to the stock aggregate by impingement, direction and rate of flow imparted to the fluid carrier as the stock flow in manipulated over and between the granular surfaced elements and by bre against bre friction, resulting from hydraulic pressure exerted on the fluid carrier, the rise in temperature for a given manipulation of the ow varies with the velocity and the degree of impact as well as the density of the stock and the character of the stock aggregate.

It has been found that in the processing of stock, ternperature is a critical factor in preventing a decline in the mullen characteristics, for example, both in batch systems where stock is repeatedly recycled, and in continuous processing where the stock flows are directed through successive units.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide means for processing paper stocks at a constant temperature most suited to a particular type of fibre.

A further object is to provide means for dissipating the heat generated in processing paper stocks in a processing unit which may be incorporated into a stock processing system as an integral part thereof.

Other and further objects will be made apparent in the disclosures of the acompanying drawing and in the following specication and claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a paper stock processing unit embodying the invention, taken generally on line 1-1 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure of FIG. 1, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawing, a granular surfaced rotor 1 is shown mounted for rotation within a granular surfaced annular stator 2. The rotor 1 is shown as provided with a base 3 mounted on the shaft 4 of an electric motor 5, to be driven thereby. The stator 2 is shown mounted in a casing, generally indicated at 6, adjustably supported by posts 7 from the top of the motor casing 8.

iidg Patented ec, 31, 1953 ICC The casing 6 includes an upwardly extending annular wall member 9 within which is mounted an annular member 10 having a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface which terminates at the inner upper edge of the stator 2. A downwardly and outwardly flaring hollow frusto-conical member 12 is mounted inwardly of the annulus 10, and is supported for vertical adjustment by spaced threaded members 13, which extend through brackets 14, extending from casing member 9, and are provided with hand nuts 15. The lower edge of member 12 is curved outwardly into adjacency with the upper portion of the stator opening, as indicated at 11, for a purpose later described.

The rim of rotor 1 is spaced radially from the lower edge of the stator, providing an annular opening to an `annular passage 16 formed between a shell 17, supported from casing 6, and the periphery of the base 3 of the rotor.

The underside of the rotor is provided with a plurality of spaced vanes as 18, welded or otherwise secured thereto. The inner ends of the vanes are spaced from the hub 19 of the rotor base 3, and the shell 17 is extended inwardly to the inner ends of the vanes 18 providing an annular opening 20 through which air is supplied to the vanes 18. An annular tray member 21 is supported on the motor casing 8 beneath the shell 17, the inner wall 22 of the tray extending upwardly adjacent the hub 19.

By this arrangement a constant iiow of air is driven upwardly through the annular passage 16 by the vanes 18 when the rotor is in motion.

Stock is delivered above the center of the rotor 1 through a supply pipe 23. The upper surface of the rotor is contoured with radial and inclined, outwardly extending grooves 25 and 26 which drive the stock outwardly over the surface of the rotor, across the upper end of the passage 16 and against the surface of the stator 2. The surface of the stator is contoured with generally spiral grooves 27 which direct the stock flow upwardly and inwardly, and in part downwardly toward the center of the rotor. The member 12 is adjusted so that its lower edge is radially spaced from the discharge ends of the stator contour grooves 27, and extends transversely thereof, intermediate the top and bottom of the grooves so that part of the stock flow as it is discharged from the grooves passes above the lower edge of the member 12 into the annular launder 28, formed between the outer surface of the member 12 and annular member 10, from which it is discharged through trough 29 and pipe 30 for further processing or other disposition.

As the stock stream passes under high velocity from the rotor over the upper end of annular passage 16 and impinges against the stator wall, the stream of air emerging from passage 16 passes into and through the stock stream and, as the portion of the stock stream below the edge of member 12 is directed back to the center of the rotor, it again encounters and passes through that portion of the air stream which passed through the stock as the latter was driven over the passage 16. Thus the stock flow is subjected to repeated passage through the air stream.

To regulate the number of passes and consequent degree of cooling of the stock directed into the launder 28 for delivery through pipe 30, the position of member 12 is adjusted by means of the nuts 15 to trim out a greater or less portion of the stream leaving the contours at the upper edge portion of the stator for return to the center of the rotor. The major portion of the air passes outwardly from the processing chamber through the member 12 where it encounters the stock discharged through pipe 23 thus reducing the temperature at which the stock enters the processing chamber.

In addition to the direct heat transfer between the stock and air the agitation of the stock is conductive to moisture evaporation which further reduces its temperature.

Because of the high speed at which the stock stream and the air stream are traveling and their relative positions as they intersect each other, little or no stock finds its way downwardly through passage 16 when the unit is in operation. Stock entering the passage 16 at any time, as when the rotor is brought to a halt intentionally or otherwise, drains into the tray Z1 and is discharged through pipe 31 into a suitable receptacle or processing unit.

The device of the present invention is designed to be used in conjunction with various forms of processing units ofthe general character of those exemplified in the patents and applications above mentioned, and preferably and, as shown in the unit above described, performs a relatively mild processing of the stock at the same time it reduces and controls the temperature of the stock in the processing unit or units with which it is associated.

By subjecting the stock to the characteristic action of abrasive surfaces, over and against which it is impinged at the same time that it [is traversed by an air stream, not only is the processing of the stock somewhat advanced but the water-borne aggregate is advantageously dispersed for uniform and efficient access of the cooling air to the aggregate particles and fibres. The surface texture of the contoured rotor and stator surfaces, however, may be relatively smooth providing a minimum of processing as such, Where only temperature reduction is essential or desired.

The invention affords an extremely flexible control of stock processing temperatures, increasing the range of use of given equipment units for processing various types of fibres, and affords more eicient operation and product control in both batch and continuous processing systems.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for processing, and reducing the temperature, of water-borne paper stock which comprises an annular stato-r member, a disc-like rotor member rotatably mounted within and adjacent the lower end of the stator member, the periphery of the rotor member being spaced from the stator wall to provide an annular passage therebetween, a downwardly and outwardly flared hollow frustoconical member adjustably mounted above the stator member, the lower edge of said frustoconical member being positioned adjacent but spaced from the upper inner peripheral surface of the stator member, said stator, rotor and frustoconical member forming an unobstructed processing chamber above the upper surface of the rotor member, means to supply water-borne paper stock through Said frustoconical member to the center of the rotor member, means to rotate the rotor member to drive the stock in sheet form over the said passage between the rotor and stator member and upwardly over the inner surface of the stator member, the stock engaging surfaces of the rotor and stator members being granular, the inner wall of the stator member being formed with upwardly and inwardly directed, generally V-shaped, grooves to discharge the stock against the lower edge of said frustoconical member whereby the stock emerging from the grooves passes in part upwardly along the outer surface of the frustoconical member and the remainder of the stock is directed back to the center of the rotor member, and means to propel air through said passage between the periphery of the rotor and the stator members and into and through the sheet of stock as it passes over said passage.

2. A device as in claim l, the said lower edge of the frustoconical member being positioned sufficiently close to the adjacent upper inner peripheral surface of the stator to essentially prevent escape of air from the chamber, the said means supplying stock to the chamber being spaced from the upper end of the hollow frustoconical member to provide an annular passage therebetween for the discharge of air and vapor from the chamber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,633 Campbell Apr. 25, 1911 1,488,219 Shortle Mar. 25, 1924 1,524,605 White Jan. 27, 1925 1,903,526 Andrews Apr. 11, 1933 2,858,083 Shurts Oct. 28, 1958 2,912,174 Bidwell Nov. 10, 1959 2,937,815 Eirich May 24, 1960 2,951,649 Rietz Sept. 6, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,339 Great Britain June 14, 1940 

1. A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING, AND REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE, OF WATER-BORNE PAPER STOCK WHICH COMPRISES AN ANNULAR STATOR MEMBER, A DISC-LIKE ROTOR MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN AND ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE STATOR MEMBER, THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROTOR MEMBER BEING SPACED FROM THE STATOR WALL TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN, A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FLARED HOLLOW FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ABOVE THE STATOR MEMBER, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT BUT SPACED FROM THE UPPER INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE STATOR MEMBER, SAID STATOR, ROTOR AND FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER FORMING AN UNOBSTRUCTED PROCESSING CHAMBER ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE ROTOR MEMBER, MEANS TO SUPPLY WATER-BORNE PAPER STOCK THROUGH SAID FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER TO THE CENTER OF THE ROTOR MEMBER, MEANS TO ROTATE THE ROTOR MEMBER TO DRIVE THE STOCK IN SHEET FORM OVER THE SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN THE ROTOR AND STATOR MEMBER AND UPWARDLY OVER THE INNER SURFACE OF THE STATOR MEMBER, THE STOCK ENGAGING SURFACES OF THE ROTOR AND STATOR MEMBERS BEING GRANULAR, THE INNER WALL OF THE STATOR MEMBER BEING FORMED WITH UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY DIRECTED, GENERALLY V-SHAPED, GROOVES TO DISCHARGE THE STOCK AGAINST THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER WHEREBY THE STOCK EMERGING FROM THE GROOVES PASSES IN PART UPWARDLY ALONG THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER AND THE REMAINDER OF THE STOCK IS DIRECTED BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE ROTOR MEMBER, AND MEANS TO PROPEL AIR THROUGH SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROTOR AND THE STATOR MEMBERS AND INTO AND THROUGH THE SHEET OF STOCK AS IT PASSES OVER SAID PASSAGE. 